Psychology Quiz on Attribution Theory

Psychologists showed participants a list of words in a language they did not know. The words were repeated to participants. Group A heard the list 3 times. Group B heard the list 8 times, and Group C heard the list 25 times. Participants rated the degree to which words in the list likely referred to something good or bad. The results provide evidence for the mere exposure effect. Which of the following is the most appropriate conclusion?

• There is a positive correlation between the number of times an individual is exposed to novel words and increased positive associations.

• Increased exposure to novel words did not impact the participants associations with the words.

• Increased exposure to novel words leads to increased negative associations.

• Individuals exposed to novel words fewer times were more likely to associate them with something bad.

George was late for his early morning class. The teacher believed that the reason for George’s tardiness was simply laziness. In fact, George was late because a serious automobile accident prevented him from arriving to campus on time. Which of the following social psychology principles most accurately describes the teacher’s assumption?

• Impression formation

• Situational attribution

• Fundamental attribution error

• Prejudice

The tendency to believe that another person’s behavior is caused by dispositional factors rather than by environmental factors is called

• situational attribution

• impression management

• the fundamental attribution error

• an implicit personality theory

Leila saw a man treat a passerby rudely. Shortly after that, she saw him slip and fall to the ground. She immediately thought, “What a clumsy man,” without acknowledging that he had walked onto a patch of ice. Leila is demonstrating the fundamental attribution error because

• the thought was immediate

• she projected her own clumsiness onto the man

• she blamed his fall on his being clumsy

• she thought he got what he deserved

The fundamental attribution error occurs when individuals do which of the following?

• Incorrectly assume that virtually all behavior is determined by genetic factors

• Underestimate the influence of unconscious motivation when trying to explain their own behavior

• Overestimate the influence of personal qualities relative to situational factors when trying to explain the behavior of others

• Assume that very attractive people tend to be more intelligent and more competent than people who are somewhat less attractive

Dr. Drew is doing an experiment in which participants listen to a persuasive speech. They are either told the speaker freely chose to give a speech of their own making or the speaker was given a script and told to read it without the option to choose. If Dr. Drew uses the fundamental attribution error as a theoretical framework, what will their hypothesis be?

• Participants will indicate that the speech reflects the speaker’s true attitude regardless of experimental condition.

• Participants will indicate that the speech reflects the speaker’s true attitude only when told the speaker freely chose what to say.

• Participants will indicate that the freedom or not to choose the speech affected the speaker’s ability to persuade them.

• Participants will indicate that the speech did not reflect the speaker’s true attitude regardless of experimental condition.

Claire is conducting research on attribution theory in the United States, which is considered an individualistic country, and in Indonesia, a more collectivistic country. The observation Claire will most likely see in her research is more

• prevalence of self-fulfilling prophecies in the United States than in Indonesia

• evidence of the self-serving bias in Indonesia than in the United States

• evidence of the fundamental attribution error in the United States than in Indonesia

• immediate external attributions in the United States than in Indonesia

Of the following students, who is most clearly demonstrating an internal attribution?

• Jane, who says she failed a test because her teacher hates her.

• Martin, who says he earned a spot on the football team through his hard work.

• Lyle, who says his team won the quiz bowl tournament because they got lucky.

• Tyler, who says he lost the vote for class president because the election was rigged.

Marc performs poorly on a psychology exam and explains his failure by saying, “That test was so hard no one could pass it.” This explanation illustrates

• reciprocal determinism

• self-serving bias

• the fundamental attribution error

• the just-world hypothesis

When Declan first meets his civics teacher, he thinks she is too loud and demanding. Over the following weeks, he grows to like that she is funny and sets high standards. Which of the following concepts is most likely responsible for Declan’s change in opinion?

• Actor/observer bias

• Mere exposure effect

• Self-serving bias

• Just-world phenomenon